Closure cap and pouring spout unit



APril 3,1953 M. D. MOCAULEY 2,636,643

CLOSURE CAP AND POURING SPOUT UNIT Filed Feb. 28, 1947 6 2 SI-IEETS-SHEET 1 www ATTORNEYS Filed Feb. 28, 1947 April 28, 1953 M. D. MCCAULEY v 2,636,643

CLOSURE CAP AND POURING SPOUT UNIT z SI-IEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR Myra/7 D. /7"Cqu/ey Patented Apr. 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOSURE CAP AND POURIN G SPOU'I UNIT Myron D. McCauley, Huntington Woods, Mich, assignor to Rinshed-Mason Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application February 28, 1947, Serial No. 731,494

2 Claims. (01. 22280) .i This invention relatesto a device applicable to a container of liquid substance for the purpose of agitating and mixing the substance and dispensing the substance from the container.

More specifically, the invention has to do with the provision of an improved device applicable to paint cans. When the device is applied to a paint can it may be operated to agitate and mix the contents, and then the paint may be poured from the can by means of a dispensing spout.

The term paint is used herein as broadly significant of coating materials, including those specifically known as paint, and others which may technically be lacquer, shellac, varnish, or other related materials.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a device which is quickly and easily applied to a container and which is equipped with agitating means of a novel structure for setting up a type of circuitous flow of the contents in order to agitate and thoroughly mix the same. In this connection blades are applied to a rotating element and while the blades are of a simple structure and form, they are so disposed and related to each other as to effect a thorough agitating and mixing action. A further object is to provide an improved pouring spout with a closure therefor, so formed and designed that when the pouring ceases the closure eiiectively cuts the stream and minimizes the formation of drops or other portions which may cling to thespout and later fall or run-downwardly therefrom. A still further object of the invention is to provide a closure cap and pouring spout arrangement from which the contents may be poured without the use of a vent opening. A structure made in accordance with the invention is disclosed in'the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a, cross sectional view of the improved device showing the same applied to a container.

Fig. 2 is a view looking substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the agitating blade arrangement.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view taken substantially along line 33 of Fig. 1 showing the top of the closure and the container.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3 showing one of the elements for attaching the structure to a container.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 1 showing the formation of the upper agitating blades.

Fig. 6 is a view showing the mouth of the pouring spout and taken substantially on line 5-4; of Fig. 1.

part ll of an attaching device.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 1-! of Fig. 4 illustrating the structure of one of the securing devices.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, a container, which-may be a can for containing paint or similar material, is illustrated at 1 having a bottom portion 2 and an inwardly extending rim 3 provided with the usual downwardly extending flange or head 4 which defines the opening in the can. Ordinarily a can top fits in the opening defined by the flange 4 which may be circular, but in Fig. l the closure cap is applied thereto.

This cap, which may be of die-cast metal, is generally indicated at 6, is of dome formation and it has a flange l designed to fit within the flange 4 and a top flange 3 designed to overlap the rim 3. The cap is equipped preferably with two attaching devices, which will be appreciated by reference to Figs. 3 and 4, and to this end the cap has oppositely disposed bushing or hearing portions Ill, in each of which is journalled the shaft Each attaching device has a handle portion l2 which is exposed above the cap and a cam element it attached to the shaft H on the underside of the closure. The cam elements, as shown in Fig. 3, are segmental in shape so that by turning the handle it they may be caused to project so as to underlie the flange 4 and may be arranged to project inwardly in order to apply the closure to the can and remove the same from the can. Each cam element [3 has an inclined or cam face M designed to engage under the flange t, as shown in Fig. 7. Accordingly, to apply the closure it is positioned as shown in Fig. 1 and then the handles it. are manipulated to rotate the shafts It and swing the cams so that they frictionally engage with cam action under the flange t.

In the central portion of the closure is a bearingformation 2!] designed to receive a shaft 21 and a seal may be provided by a cap 22 screw threaded to the bearing portion and having an interposed washer 23. The exposed end of the shaft is provided with a handle 24 which may be equipped with a finger piece 25 for rotating the same, and the shaft extends downwardly into the vessel, as illustrated.

The shaft carries the agitating elements.

There is an upper and a lower agitating element,

as shown in Fig. 1. The upper element is advantageously formed from sheet metal having a central portion 2'! formed to fit the shaft 2 I. This central portion is somewhat semi-circular in shape so as to embrace the shaft, and it may be soldered or spot welded thereto. Extending laterally from the central portion is a blade 273a and a blade 25!. The main portion of the blade Ell extends upwardly and slightly angularly, as shown in 5, while the top thereof curved to provide a forwardly extending leading edge to. The opposite blade fill is similarly shaped and it has a forwardly extending leading sl. The upper vportions of ,the two opposite blades are thus oppositely curved. Considering the --.bla de 28 as viewed in Fig. 5 and considering that its direction of movement is from right to left in the direction of the arrow shown, it will be seen that the contents of the can into which the blade moves is engaged therebyand impelleddownwardly by the formation oftheblade. fiihcethe blade 28 is on the opposite side, its move n ent as Fig. 5 is viewed, is from left to ri. ;ht, and this blade, by its similar formation, uig. s the liquid contents downwardly.

The two lower bladesiare of similar construction except reversed. 'lhere is a central part 35 7 Tier attachment to the shaft, and an inclined blade'3fi with its curved lower structure forniing the leading edge-3?. opposite blade :38 is similarly inclined and eurved to io -mite row-a leading edge By reference toFig. 1 it will be observed that if the handle 2 3 is frota ted clockwise, as Fig. 2 is viewed, I blade 36'scoops up the material by itsjleading edge ill "and-impels the material upwardly. The blade is performs a similar function on the opposite side of the shaft, impelling the material upwardly as itgleading edge 39 leads into the si ibstance.

Accordingly, rotation of the mixing device thoroughly 'agitates :the n aterial Y as the por- Qtions inthe lower part of the container are moved 'in a stream upw'ardly' and the portions in the upper part are impelled downwardly, andthe upwardly and downwardly 1 mixing streams or ea e e ac e h re u t i t rq s turn n e of th c nte ms r n with each other.

' 'lhieeap hasapouringspout formed-integral therewith the walls ofwhich are shown at ic, thus providing a passage :65. For closing the spe t. there is a. closure pieced! forfitting over ;the end thereof andthis.c osurenpiece is pref- ..erablyintegrally formed with an operating-lever {l2 provided with an aperture.through-which the shaft- 2! extendsiand having a free end 9i byineans otwhich the same is;manipulated. This plosure piece or valve -meinher is pivotally moun ed as atflii-on lugs all formed 011117113 3); i {actuated-into closed position by a spring .48 coiled about the axis member .andhaving extending:portionsengaging the wallet! and the undersideof A the lever portion d2, as indicated. The rim ,or edge of thepouring spout is very vaccurately iormed as shown in 'Figs. land 6. {The metaldefiningthe rim is preferably fashioned to provide-a relatively sharp exposed edge 50, andit is furthershaped to provide a narrow channel which advantageously has its central portion insomewhat ofan apex, as shown at El. flhestructure-thus, asshown in Fig. aha-s the appearance of a relatively wide v. The element 4| is arranged to seat nicely on therelatively sharp edge ill. Theend of the spout is conveniently formed so thatitlies in a plane of about 30trom the verticaL as shown in Fig. l, and the metal forming the end of the spoutis fashionedas by means of suitable working operationsto provide the sharp edge: 58. As shown in liig lrthemetal adjacent the sharp edge and adjacent the apex 5| may be about 45 from the horizontal.

In pouring the substance from the container, the operator needs but to depress the lever portion 42, thus swinging the member 4| from its seat so that the contents may be poured from the spout. When the lever 42 is released the sprin se ie l s .ih sneu AS the f r-1. mm! Lew i st it rs i e ys seat 50 it efficiently cuts off the flow of the ma- ,terial. Due to the formation of the V structure with the apex at 5!, the last portion of the streamof-inaterialis effectively severed with a sharp, clean action, upon the closing of the memberdl so that substantially no droplet or body' of material remains on the spout.

The cap and spout structure provides for readily pouring-the substance from the contamer. without a gurgling or bubbling action and without the use of a vent. In this connection, it will be noted that the cap is constructed to pro'vide a concavity on its underside thus iorrning a-spacefor airabeve the level of the liquid centehts even wh'en the can is f lled. The sipout l fl has its upper wall connectinginto saidspaoe adjacent-the upper end of the concavity as; Fig l is viewed. In other words theupper wall of the spout joins the cap near'its center. It is desirable to havethe can normally sealed so as toprevent entrance of air'and thus tominimiz e oxidation and other detrimental efiect on the contents and since the present cap needs no vent a tight closure is provided. When the contents is poured from the can the liquid flows over the lower wall ofthe spout and over the edge 50 while air readily flows intothe container by flowingalongthe upper wallof the spout into the top portion of thespace foi lned by theconcavityl l. A device. applicable to containers; having-an opening for dispensing liquid e o ts -such as Faint m ee a 19 1 7 b dy f r e es n sei opening, a dispensing spout formation ont he ens r d?! ai m f rm iv ie ermed atits outlet end so thati the lowerportion of -the .qllilsthas p s telv extendinew w h mee each other convergingly at an angle to provide an. apex formation, the outlet edg es-of said-walls on opposite sides. of the apex each having a relatively sharp knife edge structure, a closure .elemen ie en ee sih kn fea e structure for 9 i fil Q MQiWfi I an s i wi s e 'ii .1eam.,-O :ih l id m nim z th accumulation of the particles .or drops subseau n i iei sine- 2. a closure capand pouring spoutunit ior attachment to a container fon paint or the'l-ike, Which container has an opening therein, a cap body of concave ijorrn on its underside having a peripheral edgeformed to seat upon the walls ofthe containerdefining said openingnieans for holding the cap in position, said closure cap'havr ingapouring spout definedby an upper wallextending upwardly and angularl-y from approximately the center portionofthe body and a lower wail extendingupwardly and angularly from approximatelythe peripheral edge of'the body, and wall portions connecting the upper and. lower walls todeiine a. pouring spout pja'ssage the low r wall having wall portions the exposed ends or" which extend convergingly toward each otherand meetatan angle toform an apex in thecentral lower partof the spout opening, said expose d ends of'the said portions being of relatively sharp 5 knife edge formation, and an operable closure element for the outlet end of the said passage for engaging the knife edge formations to close the spout passage, and serving, together with the sharp edges, to sever the stream of liquid ancl minimize the accumulation of particles or drops subsequent to closing.

MYRON D. MoCAULEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Armstrong Sept. 14, 1909 Gaines Dec. 30, 1913 Sarter July :25, 1916 Ellis July 9, 1918 Weil Oct. 29, 1918 Bentzen Aug. 27, 1935 Hacmoc June 213, 1939 Hexter Sept. 30, 1941 Hacmoc i Feb. 10, 1942 Frank July 11, 1944 

